Cementing Growth: Coverage and Access for Adolescents

Adolescent Health Panel o Speakers o Donna Cohen Ross, Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Enrollment Initiatives at CMCS o Hayley Lofink Love, Director of Research and Evaluation, School-Based Health Alliance o Moderator o Alisa Chester, Research Associate at Georgetown CCF 2

Adolescents Have High Rates of Uninsurance 3

Uninsured Adolescents by Age 4 Nationally, 10.4% of all adolescents ages are uninsured.

Type of Adolescent Coverage by Age 5 30% of teen have public health coverage, while 63% have private coverage and 10% are uninsured.

State Variation in Rates of Adolescent Uninsurance % 5.6%

Coverage of Adolescents by Income 7

Adolescent Uninsured Rate by Race and Ethnicity 8

Hispanic Teens are Disproportionately Uninsured Hispanic Teens as a Percent of Total Teen Population Uninsured Hispanic Teens as a Percent of Uninsured Teens 9

Adolescent Risk-Taking Behaviors 1)Drug and alcohol abuse 2)Unsafe sexual activity 3)Violence 4)Injury-related behavior 5)Tobacco use 6)Inadequate physical activity 7)Poor dietary habits 10

Long-Term Effects of Medicaid Coverage New studies show that Medicaid coverage during childhood leads to: –Healthier teens Reduced engagement in risky sexual activity by 3.5 percent Reduced BMI by 3.9 percent Significantly reduced alcohol use and eating disorders –Greater academic achievement 9.7 percent decline in high school drop out rates 5.5 percent increase in college graduation rates –Lower rates of morality Reduced the mortality rate of Black teenagers (ages 15 to 18) by 13 to 20 percent for internal (treatable) causes 11